The present invention relates to a column (1) for a thermal treatment of a mixture of compounds having a tendency to polymerization. The column (1) comprises a mass transfer tray (5) comprising a rising tube (8) having an inlet opening (9) below and an outlet opening (10) above the mass transfer tray (5). The rising tube (8) further comprises a lateral opening (11) above the mass transfer tray close to the upper surface of the mass transfer tray (5). Said rising tube (8) is adapted to form a fountain (13) at the outlet opening (10) by atomization of a liquid fraction of the mixture of compounds from the mass transfer tray that enters through the lateral opening into the rising tube (8). The fountain (13) is sprayed to a spot (16) of the column (1) where polymerization is likely to occur. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a thermal separating process that uses such column (1).

An apparatus is provided for installing a packing disk of a structured packing into a vessel of a material-exchange column. The apparatus comprises a separating device for separating the endless packing strip into individual packing sheets, a conveying device for conveying individual packing sheets to the vessel, to stack the individual packing sheets in the vessel to form the packing disk, and a measuring device designed to measure a preferably horizontal distance between two mutually opposite points of an internal contour of the vessel. The separating device is designed to separate individual packing sheets from the endless packing strip such that a respective length of the packing sheets is less than or equal to the measured distance. A central axis of the vessel is arranged horizontally in the apparatus.

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.

An annular divided wall column for the cryogenic rectification of air or constituents of air is provided. The annular divided wall column includes a first annular column wall and a second annular column wall disposed within the first annular column wall to define an annulus column region and an interior core column region. The present annular divided wall column further includes structured packing elements disposed within at least the annulus column region as well as a ring-shaped cantilevered collector; and a ring-shaped distributor disposed in the annulus column region above or below the plurality of structured packing elements. The thermal expansion and contraction of the second annular column wall in a radial direction and in an axial direction is independent of the thermal expansion and contraction of the first annular column wall in the radial and axial directions.

The present invention related to a column for the thermal treatment of a mixture of compounds having a tendency to polymerization, as well as a thermal separating process using the column. The column includes a mass transfer tray having a rising tube with an inlet opening below the tray and an outlet opening above the tray. The rising tube further includes a lateral opening above and close to the upper surface of the mass transfer tray. The rising tube forms a fountain spray of atomized liquid from the mixture of compounds above the tray that enter the rising tube through the lateral opening. The fountain is sprayed to a spot of the inner surface of the column where polymerization is likely to occur.